Damon..... Dream on pal.. Laugh. Will be a while yet. It take four times longer when your adding a lot of scale features. Then the end result should be a nice kit. Will be making a lot of molds next week to finish up all the fuse parts then on to the wings which should be easy compared to the fuse.

Finally got my first rudder out of the molds. I pre-primed the molds with a cheap spray bomb auto primer to see how it worked. Using my newly built hot box I wanted to see what the time reduction might be. It used to take a day to layup the part and an overnight curing session in one of my bathrooms seeing its now winter and cold outside.

So I waxed and applied PVA to the mold halves. Into the hot box for 20 mins. Primed the molds and hot box for 45 min. First layer of 1 oz in the sharp regions and hot box for 40 mins. Final 6 oz cloth and hinge inserts etc then hotbox for 45 mins. Trimmed the layup and used a mix of flock, micro spheres and resin around the edges and clamped the molds together. Into the hot box for 3 hrs on low due to going flying. Came home and checked my edge glue sample and it was ready. When I glue the edges I always apply a little to a bit of cardboard and place on the molds so I can check the internal cure.

I removed the bolt clamps and popped the part out. A nice bead of flashing around the part perimeter which just about fell off. I mix my bead to be just about flowable but still stiff. I apply it to one half then close the mold. I then flip the mold to allow the bead to cross over to the other half. Once I have it all screwed down I flip it again and into the oven. Ten minutes then reverse the flip. This ensures that the seam is totally covered.

I did another quickie part and then cut it open in segments to get my templates and to see how strong the bead is. I could not separate the halves so will stick with this method.

Regards the retract steering. I thought a thread on different methods from others would be a good topic. Any takers?

J The one in the pic is 40g I just pulled another one which is perfect due to a different layup method and that is 48g. Both have a ply 1/4" ply inner plate to secure the control horn.

I will next modify the mold side with an alignment slot so that I can mold the actual control horn into the part while laying up in the mold. This will get rid of the ply plate and also some weight.

The cheap spray bomb auto primer works well if I use the heat gun for a minute after shooting. Then place in the hot box to cook for 45 mins. The first one was not completely cured so left a bit of primer in the mold. My 2k primer just takes to long to cure so trying this method and so far pretty good results.

Cockpit and elevator plugs are done. Tomorrow mold making. I'll be so glad to get the cockpit tub and front instrument panel and glare shield molds finished. I need those layups to begin finishing the fuselage. Once I test fit the tub I will then chop up the fuse to get the stations off it and cut those in plywood.

I have also begun finishing the horizontal stab plug. Next week I should have the entire fuselage and tail section complete. Then I will layup a production piece and begin the build of a final flying model. At the same time I will begin the final wing plugs that only require a glass layer and some primer and putty then in to molding those.

Due to Christmas and New year I expect a test flight in Feb 2013 assuming the world is still around.

Shoot, less than 2 oz for the rudder is very good I would think. Nice.

J

What I put into the rudder I can remove that weight from the fuselage rear end to keep the CG more reasonable. So far the fuse is 400 grams but I want it down to 350 grams. The absolute heaviest I want this model completed ready to fly is less than eight pounds as I have flown it at that weight and it is perfect for it.

I intend to install my Wasp radial engine sound system a long with electronic retracts and sprung oleo's.